Posts tagged ‘santa rosalia’

Let me start with an analogy. Many of us love dreaming about flashy sports cars, but the truth is that most of us will never own one; they’re too expensive and they really don’t fit our lifestyle. The same holds true for watches that cost several thousand dollars or mansions that run into the millions.

The same thinking often comes to being with wine; people love to read about the most expensive, longest-lived red wines, ones of great breeding and class. The editors at the most influential wine publications know that, which is why the 100-point scale is in use these days. Hey, wouldn’t you prefer a 95 or 97-point wine as compared to a 91 or 92-point wine? The editors are betting you will – as are the producers that receive the higher scores.

But let’s wait a bit. What do those scores really mean? I could go off on this at great length, but basically, this is a case of “bigger being better.” Whatever you think about a particular wine or group of wines, you have to admit there’s not right or wrong at play. If you like a bigger wine, fine. But there are many of us that would rather have a more delicate wine, especially if we are trying to find the ideal match with food.

All of this brings me to the wines of Mauro Sebaste in Piemonte. I first met him in Chicago more than a decade ago and recently visited him at his winery near Alba, in the heart of the Barolo zone. I find him to be a gentleman, one who goes about his business in a professional, thoughtful and relatively quiet manner. It’s a bit of a cliché, I suppose, but he prefers that the wines speak for themselves.

It’s the same understated qualities of the man that are on display in his wines. These are not powerhouse, showy wines meant to “wow” you, but rather, they are beautifully balanced wines that display excellent varietal character; for me, that’s what I seek and I think it’s what a lot of wine drinkers prefer.

In their 2013 Guide, Gambero Rosso, the Bible of Italian wine publications, mentions that these wines “are not overly extracted and faithfully reflect the character of their individual terroirs.” This is a valuable assessment of Sebaste’s wines and it’s that first part of the sentence I want to focus on, as those wines that get the high point ratings I referred to earlier are generally deeply extracted to obtain the deepest colors and get every fruit essence they can from the grapes. The results are often like jam, not wine; if that’s what you like, fine. But upon further examination, the best wines are about balance and expression of the site where the grapes are grown. That’s what Sebaste brings to all his wines.

Briefly then, don’t look for the highest scores or the most precious descriptors for the wines of Mauro Sebaste. But be prepared for elegant, flavorful wines that are well made and a pleasure at the dinner table. Here are notes on wines I tried with Mauro earlier this year at his winery:

2012 Roero Arneis - Appealing Anjou pear and melon aromas; medium-bodied, very appealing, with excellent varietal character. Very good acidity, this is sleek and beautifully balanced. This would be a wonderful partner with a vegetable risotto. (Very good to excellent)

2011 Barbera d’Alba “Santa Rosalia” – Bright purple; black cherry and black plum aromas. Medium-bodied, good acidity with a slightly tart finish. Nicely balanced with very light tannins and notable varietal character. A bit of an old-fashioned Barbera, one that’s not over-oaked or tricked up, but nicely made for food, be it pizza or roast veal. (Very good)

2009 Barolo Prapò – This is from the famed cru in Serralunga d’Alba. Lovely delicate garnet color (again, not overextracted); expressive aromas of cedar, dried cherry, orange peel, rose petals and a hint of tar – just lovely! Medium-full with elegant tannins, good acidity and a clean finish of good length. While not as complex as recent vintages (especially the 2008), this is a well made wine and a notable example of the understated style of the Mauro Sebaste Barolos. Best in 12-15 years. (Very good to excellent)

“This is a classy Barolo that expresses its terroir in a graceful manner. It’s made in a style that offers approachability upon release, as it’s not a tightly wrapped wine, yet it will clearly offer greater complexity at twelve years of age and older; the best vintages will drink well for as long as 25 years.”

(Clearly, I enjoyed writing about this wine almost as much as I loved drinking it! I always wish to find wines like this – ones that are true to their variety as well as heritage.)

2007 Barolo “Brunate” Riserva – The Brunate cru, situated in La Morra, is one of the famous in the entire Barolo zone. Deep garnet; aromas of dried cherry, dried currant, orange peel and a note of tobacco. Medium-full with a generous mid-palate. Long finish, excellent persistence, good acidity and nicely balanced tannins. Best in 12-15 years – perhaps a bit longer. (Excellent to outstanding)